1/24/11, "Seating, civility, and substance," Senator Tom Coburn (R), National Review, The Corner
Senator Coburn publicly scolds conservatives for caring that Republicans have de facto caved in to media hype of sitting next to Democrats. Coburn may have said he won't run again after his current term expires, but in the meantime he's scolding us. Our country's present low point--from which we may never recover and which has destroyed lifetimes of work and sacrifice--was preventable--and was caused by negligence of those in the Beltway including him. Following are comments to Coburn's article:
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From comments to his article on NRO:
1. "wombatty
01/25/11
Sorry, Sen. Coburn. With our country in the shambles it is in, THE FACT THAT YOUR AND YOUR 'FRIENDS' ACROSS THE AISLE choose make such a production (or do so, KNOWING THE MEDIA WILL MAKE A BIG DEAL OF IT) of 'sitting together' as a gesture of civility is what is stupid and silly here. Worse than that, it plays right into the hands of your 'friends' and the media. Tell me Sen., what exactly is the message you clowns are trying to send? That you can sit next to one another for an hour or so? THAT is supposed to impress us and 'tone things down'? Try sticking with substance next time and don't give the dems any easy shots.
Then again, weren't you the one who admonished all of us that 'Nancy Pelosi' is a nice person? Yes, it was. Tell me, Sen., what good is 'nice' when she is doing yeoman's work in destroying our republic?
If I ever get mugged, I'll make sure to let offender off easy if he's 'nice' about it."
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2. "wtl
01/25/11
I respectfully disagree, Sen. Coburn.
You said, "They don’t want conservatives making their case. If dissent can be labeled “uncivil” then they have won the debate."
Exactly. The question now is, what to do?
Progressives have already won the debate in our public classrooms and higher institutions of learning by shutting down dissent and labeling it.
Progressives won over the media by shutting down dissent and labeling it.
The reality is that debate in the marketplace of ideas has already been shut down by the progressives. Elected representatives are not going to be the magical in saving the day. Conservatives, libertarians and true liberals at all levels of society need to have vigorous debate, and let the progressives figure out that they really don't choose to debate in the marketplace of ideas.
It is not time now to sit down together with progressives, any more than it is time for parents to sit down and sing kumbayah with progressive educators. Their ideas are bankrupt....and are bankrupting our children emotionally, spiritually, financially, and academically.
We need courageous leaders who won't back down and will give space while... We the People of the United States... secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity...
Eccl 3:1 "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" KJV
We have done all we can, and we will stand. (Eph 6:13)"
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3. "Shannon Boston
01/25/11 15:49
Oh my. Senator, Your words fall on deaf ears of the true patriots of this country. You have let us down again. I voted against you last time over your votes for the bailouts. The progressives have a great photo op tonight and you're stupid enough to fall for it again. Our founders weep as you let our nation be distroyed. My God have mercy on our nation."
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4. "jpsbman
01/25/11 15:46
How about just doing the job that WE THE PEOPLE sent you to Congress to do? Last election I was for unelecting EVERYONE, yes we would lose a few good ones, but we'd get rid of Senators like Tom Coburn too. After reading this article I am now more convinced then ever that everyone in DC needs to be unelected, the sooner the better."
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5, "BobInFL
01/25/11 15:28
Yes, Senator, we should focus on solving problems, such as the massive overspending and debt that both parties -- but mostly the Pelosi/Obama/Reid triumvirate -- have contributed to.
This starts with recognizing and refusing to empower OBSTACLES to those solutions: such as "your good friend" Chuck Schumer. He is not your friend. He does not like you, your ideas, or us -- but he and his are very well practiced at fooling you. He's only saying "Nice Doggie" while groping for a big stick...and, unfortunately, the Republicans are not called The Stupid Party for nothing.
NOBODY believes you are practicing the same sort of "diplomacy" that "your good friend(s)" are. Rather, you are the Charlie Brown to their Lucy, time after time after time after...
Open your eyes."
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6. "Manuel Estrada
01/25/11 15:18
Senator Coburn,
Where was the civility by the Democrats the last two years?"
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7. "Renee
01/25/11 15:16
This is EXACTLY what is WRONG with the current Republican party. I hate to put this out there but it's time for a 3rd party. These old line Republicans are gutless and clueless. They are being played like my grandaddy's fiddle and they don't even know it. When the Dems came out with this idiotic seating idea the Republicans could have come back with something like "oh yeah, you Dems were real civil last year when you shut us out of every debate and held closed door meetings." The current R party are like battered wives, they keep taking it and taking it but they never fight back. I'm tired of it. Listen Senator, you represent US and we will REPLACE YOU if you don't start listening. Stop being civil and start acting like someone with guts. Either get a spine or resign...or we will resign you!"
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8. "tictoc02660
01/25/11
Senator,
I'm not at all impressed,
"We are both confident in our ideas — conservative and progressive — and believe our side will prevail in a free, fair, and open debate. We also recognize the limits of our insight and acknowledge that the other side is motivated by the same love of country."
If you seriously think that STATISTS like Schumer are thinking in the best interests of the country you are delusional, tired, weak, and old.
Yes... It is time for you to go out to pasture."
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9. "Paul A'Barge
01/25/11 15:03
Senator, with all due respect, you need to be a lot less concerned with what Democrats are going to sit next to you and a lot more concerned with what Tea Party participants are going to be sitting in front of you the next time you need to navigate a re-election."
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10. "Chip Penny
01/25/11 14:51
Tom you are out of touch and spend too much time inside your cosy beltway. We did not vote for you to cosy up to the opposition party and today I tore up my Republican membership card. You fool yourself if you think this charade is going down well with the Americans who voted for the Obama agenda to be halted and then reversed."
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11. "MikeJD
01/25/11
Senator -
Don't tell me what I should be worried about... we, the people, tell you what you should be concerned with...
What condescending drivel..."
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On the general topic of people (including Coburn) trying to silence right of center Americans, a Tuscun Tea Party member has thoughts released 1/25 on Facebook after a long period of silence:
from Gateway Pundit: "Tucson Tea Party Speaks Out After Weeks of False Accusations & Death Threats"
"This brings us to the second part of the tragedy: the efforts of some to turn this horrific event and investigation into a political witch hunt. The Tucson shooter, by all accounts, acted irrationally and alone. However, the response by certain members of the media and political class was coordinated, pre-meditated, and certainly intended to do harm to people that they disagreed with politically, all the while knowing that there was no real connection.
The term, although rarely now used, is “calumny.” And it didn’t just start on the day of the shooting.
Because lies and intimidation couldn’t silence you, they now seek to ensnare you with a velvet rope of “civility.” The “tone and civility” argument is a wall that will grow ever higher as we try to scale it. No amount of grace, no level of penance,
We have been civil, we have shown restraint, we have gathered in large numbers to seek truth and earned the respect of the community for the measured manner that we did this.
But now, as we hold back, frozen by respect for the fallen and sympathy for those who remain, there are others who will work harder to use this senseless tragedy to destroy your efforts. They paint a narrative they know is false;
They need us to slow, to doubt, to weaken, because they have no other argument or message that can sway America back to the torpor that allowed us to pile up debt, erode our freedoms, and ignore the responsibility owed to our children that accumulated over the span of our lifetimes.
So I ask that we stand, gather together not only because we can, but because we need to. I know there are some who are angry, I have been angry at times myself, but it is not the time for recrimination or revenge. We need to reach out our hand to those who are still unsure, those who have been beaten down, those who believed the road would be easy, and those who are only just now becoming aware of what we face as a nation.
And when you rise, they will rage. They will scream and sputter and threaten. I have seen all of that in the past two weeks, and can now attest to its ineffectiveness. In fact, having seen the absolute vilest face from some of our opponents, I can appreciate that most are not that way. Gabrielle Giffords certainly was not. Nor are our friends and members of our families who may not yet agree with us but love us anyway. As those who hate you become louder, the sensible people will be significantly easier to identify. They are the ones who matter....
If you cannot meet with us, meet where you are with friends and neighbors. This is what those who defame us fear the most. They would rather we wage a battle of personalities, of countless personal attacks and defenses from names that really don’t matter. There is not a single person in the media or local government who is worth a distraction from our message. We will continue to win the battle of ideas and show the results at the ballot box. Nothing will stop good people armed with courage and persistence.
The Tucson Tea Party and it’s members can move forward with grace, dignity, courage and strength and exhibit to all of those around us that our efforts to vocalize disagreements and work towards common ground is something vitally important and something I hope never changes in the America we all believe in....
Trent Humphries
Organizer, Tucson Tea Party"
(Mr. Humphries was threatened with death by a far left person during an ABC News taping some days after the shooting).
via Hot Air